News in brief
(1) BMW - Mar, 2018
German car manufacturer BMW has allegedly closed a second partnership with a Blockchain startup, this time to source ethical cobalt for its products.
(2) Mercedes-Benz - Feb, 2018
Germany-headquartered car manufacturing giant Daimler AG, famous for its Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, presented its own Blockchain-based digital currency MobiCoin at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported on March 5.
The project, which started in February 2018, was created to reward drivers for environmentally-friendly driving habits, i.e. smooth and safe driving at low speeds. The project will be in its testing phase for the next three months, during which 500 drivers who follow eco-friendly driving practices will be rewarded with MobiCoins.
https://blog.daimler.com/2018/02/12/mobicoin-testphase/
(3) Porche - 22nd Feb, 2018
Automobile manufacturer Porsche is exploring Blockchain apps in its vehicles in cooperation with the Berlin-based startup XAIN.
Possible applications for Blockchain technology range from locking and opening car doors via an app, with the possibility for temporary access authorization, to new and improved business models through encrypted data logging. Porsche also stated that Blockchain technology could be applied in further improving the safety and capabilities of driverless cars.
(4) Volkswagen (when Lambo?) - 22nd Feb, 2018
Volkswagen (VW) has announced a cooperation agreement with the IOTA Foundation, with plans to potentially incorporate blockchain technology into the autonomous driving initiatives of the German car giant which owns Lamborghini.
The news was made at a presentation by VW’s Chief Digital Officer (CDO) Johann Jungwirth on the future development of VW. Jungwirth was hazy on details but highlighted that IOTA’s Tangle could be used to autonomously determine the pricing of its cars based on availability and demand, as well as to enable feeless and offline transactions. He also highlighted that the technology had the potential to shorten verification time and ensure greater security for funds and information.